


Are You In or Out?

by watermelonriddles



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: F/M, i mean kind of? writing him this time felt different., soft Rio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-26 18:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18184076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: "It was like Beth wasn’t sure of anything anymore. She wanted to simply ignore it all, maybe even cut ties and go back to just being a mother, maybe even get a legit job so she could keep providing. But she was forced to face the changes between her and Rio when she walked into her bedroom to find him waiting for her inside.He was stood on the other end of the room, leaning back against her chest of drawers. There was no usual smile or mischievous smirk in place. In fact, he looked serious. Beth kept her eyes on him as she removed her jacket and placed it on the bed.“What are you doing here?” she asked as she walked towards him, stopping by the end of the bed."





	1. Beth

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on some of the shots we got of Beth and Rio in her room in the trailers/promos for season 2.

It was undeniable that Rio was attractive and Beth had always assumed that any and all attraction to him was simply down to lust. No matter how hot and bothered he made her, she could always go elsewhere and even if, by some weird twist of fate, she did actually decide to sleep with him, it would be absolutely void of emotion and the two of them could go about their normal lives without a blip to their regular routine.

There was a lot to admire when it came to Rio. She had never met anyone like him and a lot of the qualities she began to take more notice of were often things that she hadn’t come across in all of her years with Dean and sometimes even if the two of them happened to share certain qualities, they would often be displayed in incredibly different ways. Their confidence was the one she always lingered on.

Dean had this arrogant kind of confidence. The type to land you in serious debt with three mortgages, a bunch of maxed out credit cards, and little to no money in the bank. The worst part was that this particular sort of confidence made Dean act and feel like he was far superior to everyone else around him. He put himself on a pedestal and claimed that he belonged there. He would pat himself on the back for a job well done, claim he was the big man when in reality he was crumbling and dragging those around him down as well.

On the other hand, Rio’s confidence, albeit a little arrogant at times as well, was vastly different. He had clearly developed his over time. Beth was sure it must have grown the more successful he became. He had earned the right to show off a little, to make sure people knew what he was capable of, and to simply have a bit of fun. His confidence was linked to genuine success while Dean’s was based on fabricated heroics to cover up a pile of failures.

Ever since the truth came out about his lying and cheating, every time Beth was around Dean she felt like all of the life had been sucked out of the room. She had never noticed it before, how his confidence and his overall personality were so draining. She really had been so blind that entire time but now it was impossible to ignore. It didn’t help that around Rio, everything was electric. Beth had always put it down to some kind of lust and she simply assumed that anything that didn’t fit into that reasoning was a spur of the moment thing. She liked the look of him, she found his confidence to be appealing, and that was it.

She wasn’t entirely sure when it had become something more. They had been working together again for several months now. It had taken a lot of time to simply get back to the way they had been before she tried to get him sent down but now they were beyond that. She could feel it every time she was with him. He was even willing to give her the keys to the Kingdom and it was like Beth wasn’t sure of anything anymore. She wanted to simply ignore it all, maybe even cut ties and go back to just being a mother, maybe even get a legit job so she could keep providing. But she was forced to face the changes between her and Rio when she walked into her bedroom to find him waiting for her inside.

He was stood on the other side of the room, leaning back against her chest of drawers. There was no usual smile or mischievous smirk in place. In fact, he looked serious. Beth kept her eyes on him as she removed her jacket and placed it on the bed.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she walked towards him, stopping by the end of the bed.

Rio’s head was tilted to the side slightly as he watched her. After a moment he walked towards her, quickly closing the gap between them until he was stood right in front of her. It had been a long time since they were that close and she hated the fact that she felt comfort in it. Heat radiated from him and it took everything in her not to lean in a little closer.

“I need to know,” he said.

She frowned as she looked up at him. “Need to know what?”

“Are you in or out?” He gently ran his finger down her cheek and under her chin, tilting her head back slightly. “This distance is killing me.”

Beth swallowed. That was a little too honest for her liking and she couldn’t help but wonder what his game was. “We’ve been working together again for months.”

“You want out.”

It was a statement and Beth found it difficult to mask her face. “I don’t know what I want. All I know is that things changed between us.”

“I told you, we’re good.”

“Not that.” Beth stepped away from him, her eyes closed. “What I feel has changed. I thought I knew everything. I was so confident I could label what we have and what I feel when I’m around you but I was wrong.”

“What do you feel?”

She opened her eyes to find that he looked genuinely curious. His eyes were soft, lips parted slightly. “You’re attractive, okay? I thought I liked being around you because you made me feel important, like I could do anything. You made me feel attractive too. I thought it was lust, nothing more. Something I could go home with at the end of the night and deal with but now…”

“Now what?”

He was prompting her and Beth wasn’t sure what she hated more, the fact that he was doing so or the fact that it was working.

“It’s not lust.” She refused to look him in the eye. “At least, it’s not just that.”

Again, Rio tilted her head up so she was forced to look at him. “You gotta use your words, mama.”

But she couldn’t. What was she meant to say? _I think I have feelings for you?_ She was pretty sure it wasn’t love but then maybe that’s exactly what it was. It frustrated the hell out of her. Everything she ever knew about love and relationships came from her time with Dean. It hadn’t all been bad but it did make it even harder to figure out what the hell was going on with Rio because they were polar opposites and being around each of them was so different.

Still unable to find the words, Beth decided to act on instinct. Maybe she could show him what she felt and perhaps even confirm or deny a few things for herself. With no warning, Beth gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. She kissed him and to her surprise, he was quick to respond. One of his hands pressed against her lower back, holding her in as close as possible. She put everything she could into the kiss, trying her best to pour her feelings into it, before she pulled away.

It took a moment before Beth could look up at him but when she did, her heart began to beat faster. His lips were parted, bottom lip jutting out slightly. His eyes were slightly hooded but she could see something in them that she had never seen before. It was a second or two before she realised he was amazed.

“I-”

But what she was about to say was cut off as Rio kissed her again. This time with so much force that she almost stumbled backward. She grabbed a hold of him as both of his arms wrapped tightly around her. This time he didn’t hold back. He was kissing her with a hunger that Beth had never expected from him and she gave just as good as she got. Even when he pulled away, he didn’t really stop. He kissed the corner of her mouth, and then her cheek, and then her neck. Beth tilted her head a little to give him better access.

“Damn,” he mumbled against her skin.

Beth licked her lips as Rio raised his head to look at her. “I think I like you,” she blurted out. “I mean, I don’t know. All I know is that I feel _something_ and it’s more than just attraction. I realise now that I actually need you. The thought of not being around you, it scares me and I think that’s exactly why I need to consider leaving.”

“That doesn’t sound like something you walk away from.”

For a split second, it felt like her heart stopped beating. Was there a reason for her to stay? Sure, he had kissed her back and even initiated a second kiss but where did the line end for him? She felt like this was some kind of challenge. Or perhaps he didn’t see the problem. So what if she had feelings for him? She would just have to suck it up and deal with it. It wasn’t going to bother him so why should it bother her? Unless he felt the same.

“Rio…”

“Elizabeth.”

The way he said her name made chills run up her spine. Her eyes drifted closed and she leaned into him. His arms were still wrapped around her and he didn’t protest as she hugged him.

“What is happening?” With her head leaning against his chest, she could hear his heart beating. It was quick but even. “Just give me a reason.”

“Elizabeth.”

This time he said her name with so much more force. It sounded different from every other time she had heard it and when she looked up, he was watching her. This time when he leaned in, he kissed her cheek before pressing his forehead against her.

“I want you to stay.”

She wasn’t going to make it that easy and she had to be sure. “Just for business?”

“Darling, this hasn’t been just about business for a long time.”

Beth pulled away from him and made sure to look him right in the eye. He was unrelenting and incredibly hard to read. “When we first met you dismissed me as some dumb housewife. I can tell that I’m not the type of person you would normally go for. I’m sure you know plenty of people who know what they’re doing and fit into your life so much better than I do. We don’t have the best track record, Rio. I know what I feel but you have to admit it would be so much easier for us both to walk away.”

“You’re forgetting one thing, sweetheart…” His next words were filled with so much confidence, that slightly arrogant but well-deserved confidence he carried with him everywhere. “None of them are my Queen.” She blinked and few times and he smiled, leaning in close enough that his lips hovered dangerously close to hers. “You think you’re the only one who can’t handle being apart?”

“You can’t…”

“Can’t what?” he challenged.

She shook her head a little. “It would never work.”

“I think you already know that’s bullshit.”

When Beth looked into his eyes she could see that confidence still. There was clearly no chance of him backing down but she could also see that he meant it. All of this time she had thought those changes were one-sided, that if it ever came out she would have to deal with it and move on because there was no way forward other than to push her feelings to one side. Now there seemed to be another option. _None of them are my Queen_. She couldn’t believe she was seriously considering it.

“ _Rio_.”

He kissed her softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Your Queen, huh?”

“I worship you.”

The words were said with so much conviction that it was hard to deny their authenticity. He looked her right in the eye and Beth was sure that if she asked him to get on his knees and prove it, he would. So she abandoned all of her previous worries and kissed him, pouring everything she had into it. It scared the life out of her but as Rio held her tightly, she realised that she only regretted not speaking up sooner.


	2. Rio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is an alternate version of the previous chapter. It follows Rio's point of view so the beginning is completely different and it offers up a slightly different side to what you read before.

When Rio had said that they were over, he meant it. When he had said they were good, he meant it. It was Beth who had made it impossible for them to actually walk away from each other. If she hadn’t tried to get him sent down and brought Boomer into their lives, Rio would have left her well alone. He had already made peace with the idea of cutting ties. It was a decision he had come to after he found out that Eddie was with the FBI.

She was actually the reason they were even working together in the first place. She robbed him, she left her pearls, she wanted to do more jobs. Rio was more than happy to move on once she paid him his money back. He even let her pick up that package in Canada so she didn’t have to pay him money that she clearly couldn't raise. It was all a done deal until she wanted more. It was so easy to blame Beth for how they came into each other’s lives and seemed unable to part ways but that became increasingly difficult after she dealt with Boomer.

That should have been it. Beth had lied about killing him and failed to do it when she tried again thanks to him being in protective custody. It was crystal clear that she just wanted it to be over and done with which Rio was happy to comply with. As soon as she got the job done, they should have parted ways but it was him that chose not to. When Rio had offered to teach her, he had only done it so she could actually clean up her mess and they could finally be finished but more and more he realised that he was lying to himself. 

He became aware of it as soon as he heard the news that she had succeeded. Instead of feeling like they were finally through and he could walk away, Rio’s first thought was to give her the keys to the Kingdom. It wasn’t like he hadn’t considered the thought of letting Beth have more. She often surprised him. No one had ever stood up to him the way she did and he would be lying if he said it wasn’t a turn on. Every now and again she would do something to impress him. He could see it radiating from her, she was just as capable of being a boss as he was. With the keys to the Kingdom, she would have room to grow and learn while still living up to her full potential.

Although Beth was reluctant to accept his offer at first, they had started to work together again. Over the months that had passed, things seemed to be getting back to normal but Rio couldn’t help but linger. It threw him that he had been so wrong. All of this time he had put everything on Beth. He was so confident that he could just walk away at any time and that would be that but in reality, he couldn’t. At first, he was sure that they both needed each other, that she would struggle to walk away from him as well but he only became unsure about that.

Rio would watch her as always. It was impossible not to let his eyes roam her body or search her face every time he looked at her. Sure she was attractive, that was definitely a part of it, but it was so much more than that. When they first met he could tell she had this confidence inside of her, this strength that was being held back by something. It had been fun at first to see that slowly come to the surface. He even found amusement in forcing it out bit by bit. Every time he was around her it was like his entire being was on fire. She kept him on his toes and Rio was hungry for more.

Every chance he got to be with her, he took it, but at some point, he felt things changing. The last few times they met up to talk business Beth had been cold, distant. As soon as things were dealt with, she would swiftly leave. It was as if she was building up this wall between them. Their only communication was work-related and while the old him would have been thrilled with that, Rio couldn’t stand it. He was more than willing to let her walk away if that’s what she truly wanted but the thought of being apart from her made him ache in a way that surprised him. If this was truly it, if she was planning to leave, he needed to be sure. He couldn’t handle any more of this uncertainty.

Rio wasn’t entirely sure what his plan was when he drove to Beth’s house but he was sure of two things. Speaking at her house would make her feel more comfortable and catching her off guard wouldn’t give her enough time to make excuses.

He ended up parking down the street so she wouldn’t see his car. The spare key was hidden under a plant pot by the backdoor and he was able to let himself in. Over their time working together he had gotten used to her schedule. That sorry excuse of a husband had moved out and this was that perfect window of time where she was out taking the kids to school. He knocked on the door as he opened it but no one responded. When he was inside, he listened out just in case he had been wrong about the house being empty. Confident that he was truly alone, he headed for her bedroom. If she came back with any of her kids, she would make an excuse not to talk to him so hiding out a little seemed his best option.

Similarly to last time, Rio gravitated towards the pictures she had displayed. This time he noticed that a few were missing and what was left was mostly pictures of the entire family, just her and the kids, or the kids on their own. So she really was moving on then. It unsettled him the way his stomach did flips at the idea that they might actually be able to make a go of things. Was that what he really wanted? The only people who had been in his life for any decent amount of time were Marcus and his mother. It’s not like he didn’t try or wasn’t open to the idea of a serious relationship but he had come to her house thinking that this was simply about whether or not he would even be around Beth anymore.

But he had no time to think more about it as he heard the sound of her front door opening. Rio moved over towards the chest of drawers and lent back against them. It was a good enough spot that she would see him as soon as she walked in. He just had to hope that she would be too shocked to see him that she wouldn’t just walk right back out again.

In no time at all her bedroom door opened and at first, Beth didn’t notice him but when she did, she froze. Rio half expected her to be angry at him but she wasn’t. In fact, she was impossible to read. Within seconds she seemed to recover from the surprise of him being there and simply closed the door behind her. As she stepped into the room, she removed her jacket and placed it on the bed. His head tilted to the side as he watched her every action.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

Rio didn’t say a word. He simply watched as she walked towards him, stopping by the end of the bed. He waited to see if she would move any closer. He silently willed her to and when she didn’t, he walked towards her. It didn’t take much to close the gap between them and he deliberately stood right in front of, leaving little to no space between them. He liked being this close to her. There was a time where he could feel how nervous she was every time he got this close and eventually that had changed. He had been amused by the way she often leaned into him slightly like she was being drawn in, but ever since she had become more distant, he realised how much he gravitated towards her as well.

“I need to know.”

Beth frowned. “Need to know what?”

“Are you in or out?” He couldn’t stop himself then. Being this close just wasn’t enough so he gently reached out and ran his finger down her cheek and under her chin, tilting her head back slightly. If this was it, if she was out, he was going to make the most of it. “The distance is killing me.”

Maybe it was a little too honest but Rio really couldn’t tell anymore. So much had changed between the pair of them. He had always been so sure about their dynamic and how they fit into each other’s lives but not anymore. He could see Beth going over his words in her head, trying to figure out what to say next. He could tell she was suspicious. Could he really blame her for assuming the worst?

“We’ve been working together again for months.”

He realised quickly that he was going to have to be a little more straight forward. “You want out.”

Beth’s face was a picture and Rio could tell instantly that she had been thinking about it. He had assumed as much but it didn’t make it any easier to actually get that confirmation. “I don’t know what I want,” she said. “All I know is that things have changed between us.”

Rio wasn’t going to make it that easy. He was never one to put himself on the line without being absolutely sure. “I told you, we’re good.”

“Not that.” So it was something other than the night he shot Dean, something else had changed between them. Suddenly, she stepped away from him, her eyes closed. It took every bit of will power he had not to step forward and close the gap between them again. “What I feel has changed. I thought I knew everything. I was confident I could label what we have and what I feel when I’m around you but I was wrong.”

Rio was glad her eyes were closed because he was finding it surprisingly hard to keep his face clear of any emotion. “What do you feel?”

Her eyes slowly opened and although he tried, he couldn’t hide his face. She was surprised. Her eyes scanning his face, picking up on every little thing. Rio waited, wanting her to answer his previous question, he needed her to.

“You’re attractive, okay? I thought I liked being around you because you made me feel important, like I could do anything. You made me feel attractive too. I thought it was lust, nothing more. Something I could go home with at the end of the night and deal with but now…”

“Now what?” he prompted, needing her to say more.

“It’s not lust.” She refused to look him in the eye and Rio wished she would. He would give anything. “At least, it’s not just that.”

Rio couldn’t take it. There was no way he was going to hear those words come out of her mouth and not look her in the eye. He needed her to keep talking, to continue being honest with him, so once again, he tilted Beth’s head back so she was forced to look at him. “You gotta use your words, mama.”

She was struggling to find the words or maybe she just didn’t want to say them. If it wasn’t just lust then what was it? Everything Rio thought he knew went out of the window when it came to Beth. Sometimes she was easy to read and other times she drove him mad.

It really did seem like she wasn’t going to speak and he was about to prompt her again when suddenly Beth gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him in closer. As she kissed him, Rio froze for a split second before he placed his hand against her lower back, holding her in as close as possible while he returned her kiss. She was taking the lead with this one and he was all too willing to let her do so. Although he still wanted her to say it, for whatever this was between them to not be some unspoken thing, he could feel something in the kiss.

When she pulled away, Rio couldn’t keep his eyes off her. As she looked up, her cheeks were flushed and she was biting her bottom lip. There was a look of amazement on her face and it took a second or two before he realised that her eyes were slowly searching his face and that he wasn’t even trying to hide his emotions this time.

“I-”

But he couldn’t resist. He kissed her again. Perhaps with a little more force than he originally intended. They leaned so far that she almost stumbled backward. As she grabbed a hold of him, Rio wrapped both of his arms tightly around her. Sure he had thought about kissing her, what it would be like, but this was something else. He couldn’t hide his hunger as he put everything he had into the kiss and he was pleasantly surprised that she gave as good as she got. Even when he finally did pull away, it wasn’t over. He kissed the corner of her mouth and lingered there for a moment before he kissed her cheek and then her neck. She even shifted slightly to give him better access. Her skin was so soft and she smelt incredible. It was like every part of Rio was alive and he didn’t want to think of a single second where he couldn’t hold her like this.

“Damn,” he mumbled against her skin.

Rio raised his head to look at her and he was about to smile when her next words threw him. “I think I like you. I mean, I don’t know. All I know is that I feel something and it’s more than just attraction. I realise now that I actually need you. The thought of not being around you, it scares me and I think that’s exactly why I need to consider leaving.”

She was clearly rambling and while he could hear the honesty in her words, Rio was sure that she didn’t mean to say so much. She needed him and she _liked_ him. He could almost laugh. While he made a habit of being as charming as possible, especially to get what he wanted, he never thought he would see the day where Beth would actually like him. As for needing him, he wasn’t so sure she had got that the right way around.

“That doesn’t sound like something you walk away from.”

What would she make of that? Had she already made up her mind about walking away? He could simply tell her his side as well. Blurt out his feelings in a way he had never done before but something held him back. It wasn’t in his nature to confess such things so easily. Maybe it would be easier for the pair of them if he kept his feelings safely locked away. 

“Rio…” 

She said his name so softly that it made him shiver, so he said her name in such a way that he hoped she would have the same reaction. “Elizabeth.”

As her eyes drifted closed, he knew it had worked. She leaned into him and he relished in it. Suddenly her arms were wrapped tightly around him in a hug and it was automatic to hold her tightly in response.

“What is happening?” Rio looked down at her. She had her head pressed against his chest, her eyes still shut. His heart was beating much faster and it didn’t help that he was sure Beth could hear it. “Just give me a reason.”

Rio had plenty. “Elizabeth.”

He put as much force as he could behind her name. If this was the last time he was going to be able to say it to her, he was going to cherish it. When she raised her head to look up at him, he leaned in but this time he kissed her cheek before pressing his forehead against hers.

“I want you to stay.”

“Just for business?”

So, she wasn’t going to make this easy for him either. “Darling, this hasn’t been just business for a long time.”

She pulled away so she could look him right in the eye. This time Rio kept his face completely blank. As happy as he would be to go back to kissing, he was sure that they were finally getting somewhere, so he stood his ground.

“When we first met you dismissed me as some dumb housewife. I can tell that I’m not the type of person you would normally go for. I’m sure you know plenty of people who know what they’re doing and fit into your life so much better than I do. We don’t have the best track record, Rio. I know what I feel but you have to admit it would be so much easier for us both to walk away.”

“You’re forgetting one thing, sweetheart…” Rio could feel his confidence coming back. For a moment there he was sure she had knocked it clean out of him. Yes, she wasn’t his usual type but maybe that’s exactly why this felt so different and better. He had never met anyone like Beth and no one could get under his skin like she could. “None of them are my Queen.” It helped that what he said was true. She blinked a few times and he couldn’t help but smile. He leaned in close enough that his lips hovered dangerously close to hers, the temptation to lean in just a little bit more coming close to overpowering him. “You think you’re the only one who can’t handle being apart?”

“You can’t…”

There was no way he was backing down now. “Can’t what?”

She shook her head a little. “It would never work.”

“I think you already know that’s bullshit.”

Rio held that confidence, making sure Beth could feel it as she looked into his eyes. He wanted her to know that he wasn’t going to back down so easily and that he meant every single word he said. If there was ever a time for him to be honest about how he felt, this was it. As King, if there was one thing he knew, it was that he couldn’t possibly leave his Queen behind. These changes he felt between the pair of them were clearly happening on both sides. He hadn’t lost his touch, he wasn’t going soft. This was absolutely worth the risk, that he was sure of.

“Rio.”

She was unsure, he could hear it in her voice, so he kissed her softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

It was a promise, not a threat. If she asked him to leave, he would. If she really wanted to walk away, he wouldn’t force her to stay. But, if there was even the smallest chance that she might stick around, he had to be sure.

“Your Queen, huh?”

It was like something had opened up inside of him so Rio said his next words with as much conviction as he could. “I worship you.”

Rio would do anything to prove it. Hell, he’d already given her the keys to the Kingdom but he would do anything Beth asked of him. He could pretend that it was the kiss that changed things but he knew that the moment he came over to the house that he was already willing to give her everything and then some. As his words sunk in, she kissed him once again and he held her as tightly as he could. Of all of the things Rio had expected when he first decided to start working with Beth, falling in love with her wasn’t one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing this, I think I realised why I don't normally write with Rio's point of view in mind.


End file.
